Ranney’s Budding Scientists Take Center Stage at Lower School Science Fair

Ranney’s budding architects, inventors, physicians and engineers confidently demonstrated their scientific knowledge and skill at the 2009 Lower School Science Fair, Thursday, March 26 in RSPA Panther Hall. Hundreds of parents, family, faculty and friends packed the hall to view the more than 200 hands-on science projects created by Lower School students. Sprouting bean plants, celestial maps and dinosaur fossils lined the galleries of RSPA Panther Hall, while inside, potato-generated light bulbs, homemade Hovercrafts, and musical heart-rate monitors captured the visitors' imaginations. Recognizing that hands-on activities are one of the most effective ways to reinforce knowledge at any age, students at all grade levels participated in the fair. Beginners through fourth grade were assigned class science projects on topics ranging from “Sap to Syrup, Ranney Style,” to “What Makes a Volcano Explode?,” while fifth graders designed and created experiments on topics of their own choice. From “The Swim Stroke that Requires the Heart to Beat Fastest,” to “What is Cleaner: A Human Mouth or a Dog’s Mouth,” the variety of topics reflected the diverse interests of the students as they advance through the curriculum and discover their own passion for science.

Lower School Head Patricia Marshall says having all the grades involved in the fair is the most valuable piece of the project, for it offers the observer a complete picture of developmental thought in the sciences. “In the early years, scientific thinking is grasping the concept of identification and classification, for example plants vs. animals,” Mrs. Marshall said. “As students progress to the early elementary years, scientific thinking stems to understanding and predicting ‘cause and affect.’ Older students can develop predictions within particular circumstances and use facts to support their hypothesis and use this information to support their predictions-but most importantly, to learn from error.”

For additional information on all Ranney School news, please contact the Communications Department at communications@ranneyschool.org.